not settling for the so-called model life

Today on Bella Petite Radio I spoke about how the goal of aspiring models should be to get infront of the right agents, the right brands, and especially the right professional photographer.

I have had my own share of struggles and write this blog to advocate from what I have first-hand learned and experienced, and my memoir Almost 5'4" and graphic novel Model Life also are a form of sharing insight on overcoming the odds.



Having a profile page on a social site, even on a so-called Model Site, is not professional and will not help you appear professional. It is just a show-off tool, not something respected agents and professionals use.

I do not use my website to market myself as a model. I use it because I am an author and for my brand, for inspiring my readers and those who want to model.

Most of my readers are new to modeling and the best thing I can advise is NOT to use the Internet to promote yourself as a model. To be professional, to get a compcard, headshot, to mail to an agency and to strive for more, to aim higher than the "show off" factor. To really model, to really call yourself one you have to "model" something. A product. A brand, for something.

Unless the editorial in the magazine is about YOU, you should be focusing on modeling "products" and really modeling if you want to.

A website alone will not help your modeling pursuits, most agents still use compcards, or their own website to feature their models, and unless the photos are only professionalthe do-it-yourself method and only using your website, can lead you stuck.... If you really want to model, think about how you can use what you do have to modeling something, and create a compcard that is marketable towards brands and agents, which then leads to modeling jobs.

I wrote about the modeling opportunities I have found through the Internet, and a few were helpful, but mainly looking for work through the Internet castings can be a waste, for me, the REAL quality modeling jobs did not come from the Internet at all.
They come from my agent, or by myself approaching brands and working with photographers who are professional and work with clients and brands and magazines.

They came when I left the Internet behind and focused on marketing my assets to agents and brands. I've been in ad campaigns and product ads by marketing myself with a compcard, and headshot, to the right agents, or approaching the brands when I did have experience and over time built my own portfolio. It is not an over night thing, it comes from pure work, pure effort, pure trying. Knowing what is marketable about yourself and capturing that in photography you use to market yourself. If you are trying to model without a compcard you will not be going far, you need these tools, it is a MUST to work with agents and book quality work.

Isobella